Bors Blog

Missing Children “Epidemic”

I turned on Fox News for a moment yesterday and I couldn't believe what I saw. On a news break, between reports of missing children, Natalee Holloway, and Cindy Sheehan bashing, there was a brief mention by Laurie Dhue of a new study showing that child abductions have declined 80% in the last decade, the vast majority are found within 24 hours, and that most abductions are from someone the child knows or is related too. These findings stand in direct opposition to the epidemic of child abductions they paint everyday. I dug around the Fox News website for about an hour trying to find something related to this, but to no avail. I saw it, I swear!!!

If child abduction has declined 80%, by what percentage do you think the coverage of it has increased on Fox? Seeing as how they are basically a 24 hour missing persons network, I would say at the very least -and I'm being nice here- 13,000%

UPDATE: Ben Smith sent me a link to this. Just this Wednesday Greta Van Susteren-the czar of missing persons- put up a post at foxnews.com defending her obsessive coverage of missing white girls. It begins like this:

I have read with some puzzlement the criticism of our show for focusing on so many missing people — including Natalee Holloway. The criticism does NOT come from the familes of missing people (they are desperate for our help) and it does NOT come from the many police departments we work with on these stories (they are very, very, very grateful for our help.) It comes from some print journalists who would rather throw stones, than help. Their ink and space could be put to better use than criticizing those helping the families and the police. I wish they would help — we have an epidemic.

Of course the criticism doesn't come from the families you insane scientologist! It comes from people like me who want to see NEWS, not endless speculation about a woman that's been missing for months with absolutely no developments in the case. Read the rest if you can bear it.

Or better yet, e-mail that show at ontherecord@foxnews.com and tell them to get back to their normal right wing propaganda immediately.